‘Agents selling land to SEZ without owners’ consent’

MUMBAI: The police have registered cases against two persons claiming to be Reliance agents for land acquisition for the proposed SEZ in Raigad district. Both of them are alleged to have sold substantial property to the SEZ developer on forged papers.

The alleged fraud came to light after company officials approached a land owner, Nagya Gaurya Bhoir, from village Janavali in Raigad district to pay compensation for his land, which according to the officials, was sold to the RIL-arm, Mumbai Integrated SEZ.

Mr Bhoir claims that he had not signed any document relating to sale of his agriculture land, but the papers with company officials had his signature on it. Mr Bhoir approached the police and the Maha Mumbai SEZ Sangharsh Samiti, a body opposing the SEZ, which in turn sat on a dharna demanding action against those involved in it.

RIL officials did not respond to a mail and declined to comment when contacted on phone. “This is not the first case. Many agents involved in land deals are making duplicate documents to carry out land sale,” Vaishali Patil, a local resident told ET. After Ms Patil and others raised a hue and cry, the police started registering complaints against such fraudsters.

The Vadkhal police station, when contacted on Monday, confirmed that two persons — Vrundavan Patil and Narayan Patil — have been booked under sections 467, 468, 469, 471, 472, 420 and 34 of the IPC. “Both of them have been produced before the court on Monday,” a police official said. He also admitted that such cases have been on the rise of late. A couple of months back, the police had arrested a local politician, in a similar case.